A channel is a named group conversation for more than two people — for example a house team, a shift handoff group, or a topic like medication questions.
Only Managers and Billing users can create channels, rename them, and add or remove members. Staff and guests can participate once they are members.
Create a channel
- Open Messages.
- Click the + next to Channels.
- Enter a Name (for example
team-standup). - Leave Announcement channel off unless you want a one-way broadcast. See Announcement channels.
- Under Members, type names to add people from the roster. You can also type @ and choose a shortcut to add several people at once:
- @here — everyone you are allowed to add
- @managers / @staff / @guests — those roles from your roster
- @group — members of a company group who are also on your roster
- Click Create.
Channels appear in the sidebar with a # before the name.
Who you can add
Only Managers and Billing users add members. Pick people from your roster — team members (managers, staff, guests) and self-reporting profiles that have Send/Receive Messages on.
- Regular channel — at most one self-reporting profile.
- Announcement channel — many self-reporting profiles (they can read; only the creator can post). See Announcement channels.
The @managers, @staff, @guests, and @group shortcuts add team members only. To add self-reporting profiles, pick them by name.
Staff and guests do not get a member list. They see the channel name, who posts, and names when they type @ — not a roster of everyone in the channel.
Edit members or rename
- Open the channel.
- Open the conversation ⋯ menu and choose Edit.
- Change the name and/or members, then save. The Members field accepts the same @ shortcuts as when you create a channel.
You cannot remove the person who created the channel.
Mute and archive
These options are on the ⋯ menu for a conversation in the left list — for a direct message or a channel.
- Mute notifications — stops ordinary alerts for you; @mentions in a channel can still notify you.
- Archive — only the person who started the conversation sees this. Choose Archive, confirm, and the chat disappears from everyone’s list. Use it when the conversation is finished, not when you only want fewer alerts.
Staff and guests see Archive only on conversations they started. Edit (rename or change members) is for channels and is limited to Managers and Billing users.
Sending in a channel
People in the channel can type a message and press Send. To tag someone in the channel, type @. See Mentions, search, and manager review.
In an announcement channel, only the person who created it can post. Everyone else can read. See Announcement channels.
Channel messages stay in Messages — they are not saved to a profile unless a manager copies one into Daily Tracking with Document. See Discussing notes and documenting messages.
Common questions
- Can staff create channels? — No. Ask a Manager or Billing user.
- Can I turn a regular channel into an announcement later? — No. Announcement is chosen only when the channel is created.
- Why can’t I add a second self-reporting profile to a regular channel? — Regular channels allow only one. Use an announcement channel to include many (read-only for them), or use direct messages. See Messaging with self-reporters.